Mullahs 'have 300,000 extra troops'

Kabul has called for a holy war against a potential invasion from the West, reports Ben Rooney

12:01AM BST 25 Sep 2001

TALIBAN forces said yesterday that they were "mobilising" thousands of extra Afghan troops to repel any Western attack aimed at seizing or killing Osama bin Laden, believed to be the force behind the World Trade Centre and Pentagon attacks.

In a message released simultaneously in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Gulf, Kabul said hundreds of thousands of volunteers were signing up to fight a "jihad", or holy war, if Washington attacked.

"In view of current conditions, 300,000 well-experienced and equipped men have been stationed in the centre of the country, at borders and other significant areas in addition to its former detachments," Mullah Obaidullah, defence minister, said.

"Hundreds of thousands of others representing all parts of the country have also showed their readiness to participate in a jihad against foreign invaders. Enrolment is going on."

However, say military commentators, the 45,000-strong Taliban "army" is equipped with obsolete ex-Soviet equipment, has no meaningful air force, is unable to co-ordinate attacks and suffers from poor battlefield discipline.

In fact, according to Col Ali Ahmad Jalali, who served as a senior military planner with the Afghan resistance against the Russians, there is no army in any recognisable form today.

A few former officers act as military advisers but senior positions are held exclusively by the mullahs.

"Militia formations are composed of odd assortments of armed groups with varying level of loyalties, political commitmment and professional skills," he said.

"Many feel free to switch sides, shift loyalties and to join or leave the group spontaneously. The country suffers from the absence of a top political layer capable of controlling individual or group violence. Force is not a state monopoly."

The Taliban's success in 1994 against opposition forces was based on its innovative use of the pick-up truck. Mounting machineguns on the back, the pick-up proved to be of more use than its lumbering tanks.

A similar weapon, though more sophisticated, is used by British and American special forces.

However, as Col Jalali says, although these light forces made substantial early gains, they faltered when the United Front resistance improved. And poor co-ordination has meant that the Taliban was unable to exploit gains.

But, according to Jane's World Armies, the Taliban has displayed an imaginative approach to its "pick-up fighters" and has an impressive command, control, communication and intelligence network.

This, it is suggested, is evidence of the involvement of Pakistani military intelligence advisers.

There is also evidence of the increasing influence in Afghanistan of bin Laden. A force of religious volunteers drawn from across the Arab world, the "55th Brigade", is believed to number between 500 and 600 men.

It is from these ranks, rather than the rest of the Taliban forces, that suicide bombers, such as those in the American attacks, are likely to be drawn.

Pakistan is also believed to provide up to 10,000 volunteers, with some as young as 14 years old. Foreign recruits are trained in the former 7th Infantry Division military post in Rishkor, south-west of the capital Kabul.

The centre trains up to 1,000 recruits at a time in intensive courses lasting up to six weeks. Trained foreign recruits operate in platoon-sized units of 30 men separate from the Afghan formations.

Although on paper the Taliban is believed to have more tanks than the British Army, very serious doubts remain as to the serviceability of its equipment, reports Jane's World Armies.

The main weapon is the obsolete T-55, with a maximum effective range of about 1,000 yards, about one third the range of a British Challenger 2.